SY0-701 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Users on the same VLAN report that their browser occasionally reaches a fake internal portal, and packet captures show one host sending forged ARP replies that claim to be the default gateway. Traffic from nearby systems begins flowing through that host. Which attack is occurring?
Why wrong: DNS poisoning targets name resolution records, but this scenario specifically shows forged ARP replies on the local subnet.
B
ARP spoofing
ARP spoofing, also called ARP poisoning, uses false ARP messages to bind the attacker's MAC address to the gateway IP address and redirect local traffic.
C
MAC flooding
Why wrong: MAC flooding attempts to overwhelm a switch's table so traffic may be flooded, but it does not specifically involve forged gateway ARP replies.
D
SYN flood
Why wrong: A SYN flood targets TCP connection setup and would not produce forged ARP replies or gateway redirection on the local segment.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
ARP spoofing
B is correct because the scenario describes ARP spoofing (also known as ARP poisoning). The attacker sends forged ARP replies to associate their MAC address with the default gateway's IP address, causing traffic from other hosts on the same VLAN to be redirected through the attacker's machine. This allows the attacker to intercept, modify, or redirect traffic to a fake internal portal, which is a classic man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack leveraging the stateless nature of ARP.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
DNS poisoning
Why it's wrong here
DNS poisoning targets name resolution records, but this scenario specifically shows forged ARP replies on the local subnet.
✓
ARP spoofing
Why this is correct
ARP spoofing, also called ARP poisoning, uses false ARP messages to bind the attacker's MAC address to the gateway IP address and redirect local traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
MAC flooding
Why it's wrong here
MAC flooding attempts to overwhelm a switch's table so traffic may be flooded, but it does not specifically involve forged gatewayARP replies.
✗
SYN flood
Why it's wrong here
A SYN flood targets TCP connection setup and would not produce forged ARP replies or gateway redirection on the local segment.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse ARP spoofing with DNS poisoning because both can redirect traffic to a fake portal, but the key differentiator is the protocol layer: ARP operates at Layer 2 (MAC address manipulation) while DNS operates at Layer 7 (name resolution).
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
DNS poisoning targets name resolution records, but this scenario specifically shows forged ARP replies on the local subnet.
Scenario analysis trap
DNS poisoning targets name resolution records, but this scenario specifically shows forged ARP replies on the local subnet.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ARP spoofing exploits the lack of authentication in ARP (RFC 826); any host on a broadcast domain can send unsolicited ARP replies that override legitimate entries in other hosts' ARP caches. Tools like Ettercap or arpspoof automate this by sending gratuitous ARP packets, and the attack persists until the victim's ARP cache is manually cleared or dynamic ARP inspection (DAI) is configured on the switch. In real-world scenarios, attackers often combine ARP spoofing with SSL stripping to downgrade HTTPS connections, making the fake portal appear legitimate.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SY0-701 question in full detail.
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — This question tests Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: ARP spoofing — B is correct because the scenario describes ARP spoofing (also known as ARP poisoning). The attacker sends forged ARP replies to associate their MAC address with the default gateway's IP address, causing traffic from other hosts on the same VLAN to be redirected through the attacker's machine. This allows the attacker to intercept, modify, or redirect traffic to a fake internal portal, which is a classic man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack leveraging the stateless nature of ARP.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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